דָּבָר אַחֵר, שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים. מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן, וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה (במדבר יב, א). וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: לֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ כִּי טַח מֵרְאוֹת עֵינֵיהֶם מֵהַשְׂכִּיל לִבֹּתָם (ישעיה מד, יח). מָה רָאָה לוֹמַר אַחַר מַעֲשֵׂה מִרְיָם שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים. אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה צָפוּי לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בָּאִין וְאוֹמְרִין לָשׁוֹן הָרַע עַל הָאָרֶץ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לוֹמַר, לֹא הָיִינוּ יוֹדְעִים עֹנֶשׁ שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע מַה הוּא. לְפִיכָךְ סָמַךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה לָזֶה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ הַכֹּל עָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. שֶׁאִם בִּקְּשׁוּ לוֹמַר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע, יְהוּ מִסְתַּכְּלִין מַה נַּעֲשָׂה בְּמִרְיָם. אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא רָצוּ לִלְמֹד. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: לֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ. לְכָךְ כָּתַב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁלּוּחַ הַמְּרַגְּלִים אַחַר מַעֲשֶׂה מִרְיָם. הֱוֵי, לֹא יָדְעוּ וְלֹא יָבִינוּ, כִּי טַח מֵרְאוֹת וְגוֹ'. דָּבָר אַחֵר, שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים, לֹא הָיְתָה מִן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ. לָמָּה, שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שִׁבְחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה (דברים ח, ז). וְעַד שֶׁהֵן בְּמִצְרַיִם אָמַר לָהֶם: וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ' (שמות ג, ח). וְהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר, וַה' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם (שם יג, כא). וּמַה הוּא אָמַר שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים. אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵן בִּקְּשׁוּ דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ. שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ אֶל הַתְּחוּמִים, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רְאֵה נָתַן ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ אֶת הָאָרֶץ עֲלֵה רֵשׁ וְגוֹ' (דברים א, כא). בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נִתְקָרְבוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כֻּלְּכֶם (שם פסוק כב). זֶה שֶׁאָמַר עֶזְרָא, וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֹתֶיךָ, וַיְּמָאֲנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ וְלֹא זָכְרוּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ (נחמיה ט, טז-יז). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה' נוֹסֵעַ לִפְנֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים (במדבר י, לג). וְהֵם אָמְרוּ, נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ (דברים א, כב), שֶׁלֹּא הֶאֱמִינוּ. וְכֵן דָּוִד אוֹמֵר, לֹא שָׁמְרוּ בְּרִית אֱלֹהִים, וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ מֵאֲנוּ לָלֶכֶת (תהלים עח, י). רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, מָשָׁל לְמַה יִשְׂרָאֵל דּוֹמִין. לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁזִּמֵּן לִבְנוֹ אִשָּׁה נָאָה בַּת טוֹבִים וַעֲשִׁירָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ, זִמַּנְתִּי לְךָ אִשָּׁה נָאָה בַּת טוֹבִים וַעֲשִׁירָה שֶׁאֵין כְּמוֹתָהּ בָּעוֹלָם. אָמַר לוֹ הַבֵּן, אֵלֵךְ וְאֶרְאֶה אוֹתָהּ. שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מַאֲמִין בְּאָבִיו. מִיָּד הֻקְשָׁה הַדָּבָר וְהֵרָע לְאָבִיו. אָמַר אָבִיו, מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה. אִם אוֹמַר לוֹ, אֵינִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתָהּ לְךָ, עַכְשָׁו הוּא אוֹמֵר, כְּעוּרָה הִיא, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא רָצָה לְהַרְאוֹתָהּ. לַסּוֹף אָמַר לֵיהּ: רְאֵה אוֹתָהּ וְתֵדַע שֶׁלֹּא כִּזַּבְתִּי לְךָ. וּבִשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא הֶאֱמַנְתָּ בִּי, קוֹנָם שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה רוֹאֶה אוֹתָהּ בְּבֵיתְךָ, אֶלָּא לְבִנְךָ אֲנִי נוֹתְנָהּ. וְכָךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, טוֹבָה הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ, אֶלָּא אָמְרוּ, נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אִם מְעַכֵּב אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים: לֹא טוֹבָה הָאָרֶץ, וּלְכָךְ לֹא הֶרְאָה אוֹתָהּ לָנוּ. אֶלָּא יִרְאוּ אוֹתָהּ, וּבִשְׁבוּעָה שֶׁאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶם נִכְנָס לְתוֹכָהּ, אֶלָּא לִבְנֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם יִרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָם. וְאוֹמֵר: וְטַפְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם לָבַז יִהְיֶה הֵם יָבוֹאוּ וְגוֹ'. כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ, הִתְחִיל מֹשֶׁה עוֹמֵד וְתוֹהֶא, אָמַר, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר עַד שֶׁאֶמָּלֵךְ בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. הָלַךְ מֹשֶׁה וְנִמְלַךְ, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ: כָּךְ וְכָךְ בָּנֶיךָ מְבַקְּשִׁים. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מֹשֶׁה, אֵין זוֹ תְּחִלָּה לָהֶם. עַד שֶׁהֵן בְּמִצְרַיִם הִלְעִיגוּ לִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: זוֹ לַעְגָם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם (הושע ז, טז), לְמוּדִים הֵם בְּכָךְ. לְכָךְ אֵינִי צָרִיךְ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּתִיב: יָדַע מַה בַחֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא וְגוֹ' (דניאל ב, כב). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי מַה הֵן אוֹמְרִים: אֶלָּא אִם בִּקַּשְׁתָּ, שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים, לְךָ לְעַצְמְךָ. מִנַּיִן, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב: אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח מֹשֶׁה לָתוּר אֶת הָאָרֶץ. Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2) “Send men.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 12:1)? “And Miriam spoke to Aaron about Moses.” And afterwards, (in Numb. 12:2), “Send men.” This text is related (to Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand; for their eyes are stuck shut so that they cannot see […].” What is the reason for saying, “Send men,” after the episode of Miriam (in Numb. 12:1ff.)?11Numb. R. 16:6. It is simply that it was anticipated by the Holy One, blessed be He, that they would come and utter evil speech against the land.12Sot. 34a. The Holy One, blessed be He, had said that they should not [be able to] say, “We did not know what the penalty for evil speech was.” For that reason the Holy One, blessed be He, put this [story] next to the one [in which Miriam was afflicted with leprosy, because she had spoken slander against her brother. [This was] so that everyone would know the punishment for evil speech. [It was a warning] so that if they came to speak slander, they would consider what happened to Miriam; but even so, they did not desire to learn. It is therefore stated (in Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, wrote [about] the sending out of the spies after the episode of Miriam. Ergo (in Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand; for their eyes are stuck shut so that they cannot see….” Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself”: Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses, “Send men for yourself,” it was not [the wish] of the Holy One, blessed be He, for them to go.13See Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had already told them [about] the superiority of the Land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7), “For the Lord your God is bringing you unto a good land.” Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians [and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land].” And Scripture states (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went in front of them by day.” So what is the point of [saying] (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men?” It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached [Israel's] borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21), “See, the Lord your God has set the land before you, go and possess….” At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22), “Then you all drew near unto me [and said, ‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’].” This is what Ezra14See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17), “So they refused to listen and were unmindful of Your] wonders.” Now it says (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them […].” And [yet] they said (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us.” [It is simply] that they did not believe. And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:10), “and they refused to follow His Torah.” R. Joshua says, “To what were they comparable? To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him, ‘I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world.’ The son said to him, ‘Let me go to see her,’ for he did not trust his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father and it was bad for him. His father said, ‘What shall I do? If I say to him, “I am not showing her to you,” then he will say, “She is ugly.”’ For that reason he did not want to show her. Finally he said to him, ‘Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not trust me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son.’ Now similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The land is good,’ but they did not believe [Him]. They said (in Deut. 1:22), ‘Let us send men ahead of us.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If I prevent them, they will say, “The land is no good. For that reason He has not shown it to us.” Rather, they will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it, but rather [only] their children.’ Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23, 31), ‘Surely they shall not see the land […]. But it is your children, who you said would be carried off, who will go….’’’ When they said to Moses (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us,” Moses began to wonder. He said, “It is impossible for me to do something before I consult with the Holy One, blessed be He.” He went and consulted. He said to him, “Your children want thus and so.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “This is not the first time for them. While they were in Egypt, they jeered at Me, as stated (in Hos. 7:16), ‘this was their derision in the land of Egypt.’ They are accustomed to such [behavior]. I do not need this; as see, it is written (in Dan. 2:22), ‘He knows what is in the darkness, [and the light dwells with Him]’; I know what they are saying. But if you want, you yourself, ‘Send men for yourself.’” Where is it shown? Where it is written (in Numb. 13:16), “These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land.”